Media

To some extent, the American dream can be summarized in one word: autonomy. In our society people are on a quest to be completely independent - to be free to do what they want when they want. At first glance this may appear desirable, but it is actually an empty destination. As we take a look at what the Bible says, we'll discover that fulfillment is not found in isolation, but in becoming an integral and important part of what God is doing in the world.

All world religions emphasize earning your way into God's good graces. Do this, don't do that, and you're in. Unfortunately, many people have thought this way about Christianity - that it is about living a good life so that you'll make the cut. But a closer look reveals a much different picture of who is invited in, which means there's hope for everyone.

The raising of Lazarus is the single greatest earthly miracle Jesus ever performed. This is one of the most hopeless cases in the Bible. Yet, even in the face of absolute hopelessness, the Jesus Christ demonstrates His power to step into any situation and transform grief into a time of hope. That’s just what Jesus does. He walks into hopeless situations and He brings hope. He is still doing that today.

Throughout the ages and even in today’s culture, our hands represent power, strength and ability. God has given us our hands for His purposes and for the advancement of His kingdom. We are to ask ourselves the question: What could God do if I made my hands available for His use?

You cannot tune in to certain voices or things for a long period of time and not have them impact the way you live your life. We think we can listen to anyone and anything and it won’t affect what we do or what we become. But the truth is, who and what you listen to over a consistent basis will eventually begin to influence the decisions you make. Our focus should be to listen to what Jesus would listen to.

Do you idolize your body, or do you ignore it? Body idolizers may take a lot of vitamins and supplements, spend a lot of money on health and nutrition, workout equipment, etc. Body ignorers don’t eat right, drink too much, smoke too much, and have a poor idea of exercise. The Bible has so much to say about the body – an incredible amount. And the Bible addresses those who tend to be idolizers and it addresses those who tend to be ignorers. In both extremes there is a self-centeredness that basically says “it’s all about me”. It should be all about Jesus.

Somewhere along the way you will be presented with an opportunity to jump ahead, to take a shortcut, to move closer to that goal you are chasing. And the only catch is that you will have to temporarily abandon your values. So what do you do? It turns out that Jesus was made just such an offer in His third temptation. Examining His response will prepare you for when your moment of truth comes.

It is tempting to feel that God is in no hurry to take care of your needs - like the direction your marriage is headed, the fact that you are still single, or the speed at which your career is advancing. Jesus, too, was tempted to take things into His own hands and His response reveals a lot about what is really at stake when we are tempted to act independently from God.